and i could let you slip away
by starmocha
Summary: Will/Jemma. One-Shot. — For such a barren place, she had somehow left her mark, reminding Will of everything that was her.


**Author's Note:** I am so sorry for this, but I need my Will/Jemma fix in whatever form possible.

* * *

 **and i could let you slip away  
** _by starmocha_

It was normal at first, really. He thought of her—couldn't help it at all, of course. She was beautiful, kind, intelligent. She was also the first human he had seen in a long time, and how could he possibly have stopped himself from falling for her as all around them, their hostile environment threatened to destroy them both? The bleaker their situation seemed, the closer they were drawn to one another.

Will loved her, though it was never spoken aloud using that specific word, but then, he didn't really need to say it. She knew, just like he knew how she felt about him.

 **.**

Slowly, though, the memory of her faded away, because survival meant staying focused on the present and not a past that seemed like only a fleeting dream.

 **.**

"Will."

He opened his eyes, hearing the familiar voice. He frowned as he shakily stood up and reached for his spear. He walked towards the voice.

"Will."

He whirled around, hearing it behind him now.

"Will!"

He ran towards the voice, heart pounding rapidly against his chest as a sliver of hope stirred from deep within him.

It was impossible. No, it was possible. No! It was _impossible_.

He slowed to a stop as he came to a dead-end in the cave. He groaned loudly, dropping the spear, and kicking at the ground before pounding his fists against the wall.

 **.**

He tried to keep the thought of her at bay, repeating to himself that she was in a better place now. She didn't deserve to be in a place like this. She was now home, with her friends, family, Fitz.

He could feel his hands trembling at the last thought, but he laughed, repeating his earlier thought again, because he needed to believe she was happy and safe again.

 **.**

It wasn't as easy to let her go as he thought. For such a barren place, she had somehow left her mark, reminding Will of everything that was her.

 **.**

Will lay on his side and stared at the empty bed next to him. She should be there.

 _No, she shouldn't_ , he admonished himself for his selfish desire.

His arm draped across it, picturing her lying on top, nestling closer to him.

"Are you happy, Jemma?" he asked the empty bed, still seeing her there.

"'Yes, I am, Will,'" he finished the conversation.

 **.**

Will pulled a root out of the ground, examining the bizarre plant to make sure it was edible. As he stared at the alien flora, he found his thought drifting back to her and wondering briefly if she was eating the truffle fries she missed so much.

 **.**

"These aren't the same stars as what you are seeing, is it, Jemma?"

He lay on a boulder, staring up at the endless night sky filled with mysterious stars. He tried to picture the young Jemma, stuck in her bed staring up at the night sky and listening to her father teaching her about the infinite universe.

He covered his eyes with an arm, laughing hollowly to himself as he wondered if he would finally go mad from loneliness.

 **.**

Will tossed and turned in his bed, finding sleep was impossible. He wondered briefly if it was daytime, but he shrugged it away, thinking why now of all time would he be concerned about such concept as time in this hellhole.

He got out of bed, deciding it was pointless to even try to sleep. He paced the cavern, but his mind was restless.

"What the hell am I doing?" He ran both of his hands through his hair as he tried to calm his mind. Breathing out slowly, he decided to climb above ground.

Will wandered away from his haven, following the stars as he tried to ease his mind with other thoughts.

He didn't know how long or how far he had walked, but he could feel his legs growing heavier with each new step. As he slowed to a rest, he noticed a figure in the distant.

Frowning, he squinted, trying to make out the figure. There were no one else on this forsaken planet except him and—

"Jemma," he whispered softly, rushing at the figure before him.

He could see her swaying slightly, urging him with a warm smile to come to her. He ran as fast as his tired legs could take him, but at the last moment, he skidded to a stop when he noticed a mutilation in her appearance. He backed away a step, shaking as he realized this was not who he thought it was. It was then that he realized a sandstorm had whipped up around him, trapping him inside it.

"It's you, isn't it? It's fucking _you_ doing this, right!?"

Will turned all around him, screaming into the blinding sandstorm for _It_. He stopped, his body tensing as whatever remnant of hope remaining in him disappeared in that instant. He laughed, broken and tired.

"You got me!" Will threw his hands into the air in surrender, his voice nearly drowned by the violent wind. "You finally got me! I'm here. What are you waiting for? Finish me, like you did the rest of them!"

He stared into the sandstorm, waiting.

"Well, let's get this over with! I have nothing—absolutely _nothing_ —holding me here anymore, so come and get me!"

He blinked and _It_ appeared before him. He stared at the shadowy entity, waiting still. Then he closed his eyes, his arms were stiff at his sides as he braced for the impact. He could sense the mysterious figure rushing through him.

The noises around him subsided until there was only the normal wind howling, but he knew he shouldn't even be hearing that. He should be nothing. Gone. Dead. But he knew it was not over yet.

Slowly, he opened his eyes again and stared into the desert surrounding him. _It_ was gone, and he was now truly alone again.

Will fell to his knees laughing, wondering if he was just the luckiest bastard in the whole universe to have escaped Death repeatedly, or just an unlucky fool doomed to live forever in this barren wasteland alone.


End file.
